Pregames

[chseagle]

I remember from reading in the officials manual that the officials do a pregame conference to try to be on the same page. Should the table crew do something similar?

How often is the table crew actually involved in pregame conferences?

[johnSandlin]

I have a quick meeting with the table crew each time I am the R on a game and while I am signing the books. I think it is a vital vital part of the game as they (table crew) can make you look really bad or look really good if something strange happens. IMO, table crews make or break an officiating crew.

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by johnSandlin

I have a quick meeting with the table crew each time I am the R on a game and while I am signing the books. I think it is a vital vital part of the game as they (table crew) can make you look really bad or look really good if something strange happens. IMO, table crews make or break an officiating crew.

What I'm meaning in my questioning, John, is should the table crew by itself have a pregame?

Most of the time, when the officials do the pregame with the table crew, the questions are: "do both books match with their lineups?", For the Scorebaord/Timer "Do you have any questions concerning when to start &/or stop the clock?" I know there are other questions asked, but can't remember them all.

[fiasco]

Just FYI, you're going to have a tough time getting a very informed and interested opinion on the table crew from a bunch of people who don't normall work on a table crew.

It's like asking all of us if we think the coaches should have a pre-game meeting to discuss strategy, etc. How would I know? I'm not a coach.

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by fiasco

Just FYI, you're going to have a tough time getting a very informed and interested opinion on the table crew from a bunch of people who don't normall work on a table crew.

It's like asking all of us if we think the coaches should have a pre-game meeting to discuss strategy, etc. How would I know? I'm not a coach.

I realize I'm asking something that may or may not make any difference in the game. I was just wondering if maybe the table crew did a pregame (like officials do before coming out onto the court, or walking to the court) perhaps the game could flow even more smoothly.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by chseagle

I realize I'm asking something that may or may not make any difference in the game. I was just wondering if maybe the table crew did a pregame (like officials do before coming out onto the court, or walking to the court) perhaps the game could flow even more smoothly.

I'll say this, the less experience your table crew has, the more good this will do.

[TheOracle]

Originally Posted by chseagle

I realize I'm asking something that may or may not make any difference in the game. I was just wondering if maybe the table crew did a pregame (like officials do before coming out onto the court, or walking to the court) perhaps the game could flow even more smoothly.

Anything you would do as a table crew to try and be really good is nothing but a positive. Great table crews can be a tremendous asset to officials. Bad table crews can make things inconvenient for an official, but cannot hurt them.

[Adam]

When I'm R, there are three pregame conferences on the court.
1. Captains
2. Table
3. Coaches

Each has its own purpose and none lasts very long.

[dsqrddgd909]

Originally Posted by chseagle

I remember from reading in the officials manual that the officials do a pregame conference to try to be on the same page. Should the table crew do something similar?

How often is the table crew actually involved in pregame conferences?

I work the clock for a JV boy's team at my daughter's HS. Our pregame with the refs is very short:

They ask
1. Done this before?
2. Any questions?

They may add that we need to inform the players to wait until beckoned when subbing in.
That's about it.

As a timer, I will usually say to the scorers that I will be checking frequently with them to make sure we're in agreement.

The scorer I work with is so good, I would pay her to come do my games.

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by dsqrddgd909

I work the clock for a JV boy's team at my daughter's HS. Our pregame with the refs is very short:

They ask
1. Done this before?
2. Any questions?

They may add that we need to inform the players to wait until beckoned when subbing in.
That's about it.

As a timer, I will usually say to the scorers that I will be checking frequently with them to make sure we're in agreement.

The scorer I work with is so good, I would pay her to come do my games.

I could say the same thing about the scorer that does the BV games. I wish there was someway she could train those that do the SUb-V games. She does things I hadn't seen before.

[biggravy]

Originally Posted by chseagle

I could say the same thing about the scorer that does the BV games. I wish there was someway she could train those that do the SUb-V games. She does things I hadn't seen before.

And she's a pretty good scorekeeper too right?

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by biggravy

And she's a pretty good scorekeeper too right?

I'm meaning how she does the book. nothing else.

She does a running score using the margins of the book, for one.

[bas2456]

Originally Posted by chseagle

I'm meaning how she does the book. nothing else.

She does a running score using the margins of the book, for one.

The book she uses doesn't have one already? I've never seen a book that doesn't have one.

[Stat-Man]

Originally Posted by chseagle

I remember from reading in the officials manual that the officials do a pregame conference to try to be on the same page. Should the table crew do something similar?

How often is the table crew actually involved in pregame conferences?

I supose I'm fortuante that my primary timer partners (in both the fall and winter seasons) know what they are doing. I suppose if I was paired with a complete novice, then I might take time to see what they know and proceed from there.

That said, I will usually let my timer partner know at the beginning of the year if there are any relevant rule changes (such as when all of the warning horns were changed to be 15 seconds before the end of the duration or when the time to replace a disqualified player changed from 30 to 20 seconds).

[BillyMac]

Worst table crew, ever, in twenty-nine years, for a boys varsity game last night. Man, I wish these guys had had a pregame.

1) My partner calls the first foul of the game. He moves to the reporting area and waits for the young man, a high school student wearing a very nice tie, who is the home scorekeeper, to make eye contact with him. The young man is talking to a player on the home bench near the table. After a few seconds, the timekeeper finally elbows the scorekeeper to pay attention, and my partner finally reports the foul.

2) Timekeeper, the home athletic director, never figured out the possession arrow. It was wrong the entire game.

3) Several minutes into the third period. Home team is up by twenty points. Foul count is four against home, one against visitor. During a thirty second timeout, the visiting scorekeeper, a young lady, also a high school student, calls me over to the table and says that there is a problem. She tells me that the home scorer has three fouls on Visitor #33, while she has only two charged to Visitor #33. I tell both scorekeepers to get both the books to match. They can't agree. They start comparing team fouls and personal fouls, in both the first and second half. The time out is now long over. I tell the players to stay near their benches and my partner joins the pow wow. Neither scorekeeper is going to budge on this issue. Home scorekeeper wants to use coaches stat sheet as a backup to his scorebook. I tell him no way, we're going to get this done here at the table. I tell them again to make the scorebooks books match. What I really want to say is, "Look guys, this is a twenty point blowout game. I would bet my house that Home is going to win, even if Visitor #33 has no fouls. Hey you, kid with the tie, can't you just erase Visitor #33's third foul? Why should I believe you have the correct fouls, you weren't even watching my partner when he tried to report a fouls in the first half, you were fooling around with a friend? Your going to win this game no matter how many fouls Visitor #33 has. Hey you, high school girl, can't you just let the winning team's scorekeeper, and, if you haven't figured it out, they are going to win this game, no matter what, have his way and change your scorebook so that Visitor #33 had three fouls. By any chance is Visitor #33 your boyfriend? Are you afraid he's going to foul out? C'mon guys. give me a break." But, of course, I can't say that, it would be unprofessional, so I pretend that I care about the foul disparity, I get the young lady to add a third foul to Visitor #33, and we play on.